Maine Alerts

Maine Motor Vehicle Inspections - March 28, 2010

REGULATORY ALERT

MAINE

MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTIONS

To: Maine Manufacturers, Distributors and Dealers

From: Darrell Smith, Executive Director

Date: March 28, 2010

Subject: Motor Vehicle Inspections

The Maine Department of Public Safety issued a memorandum to all enforcement officers, motor vehicle inspectors, and inspection stations dated November 2, 2009, which was a result of changes to the laws that became effective on September 12, 2009. One of the changes resulted in a modification to current inspection practices related to the standards for window tinting regulations.

The memorandum specifically indicates that “all vehicles, unless otherwise prohibited by law (I.E. a school bus), may now have unlimited tint applied to the side and rear windows behind the B post (behind the driver and passenger front seats) as long as the vehicle is equipped with two outside rearview mirrors that meet inspection standards. No tint certificate will be required for tinted glass behind the B post of a vehicle meeting this standard.”

In addition, the memorandum restates the current law for “driver’s and front seat passenger’s side windows (as before) may have tint applied as long as at least 35% of the light passes through the glass after the tint has been applied (the meter must read 35% or above). A tint certificate is required to show compliance for the front side windows.”

“The top of the windshield to the AS-1 line (if no AS-1 line, then the top 5 inches) may have unlimited tint applied. No tint certificate will be required for tinted glass on the top of the windshield meeting this standard.”

This is a change from current inspection criteria for the windows behind the B post and is a result of educational activities over a number of years by an International Window Film Association member. All installations should be in full compliance with the revised standards.